Renegade
by M.E Blayn
Summary: As much as Emily enjoyed running the London Interpol office, she missed working in the field.When Clyde asked for her help on a case, she thought it would be easy, a nice way to get back into field work. But as her luck would have it, nothing about that case was easy. Will include the whole team.
1. Chapter 1

_Emily was pacing back and forth in the hospital waiting room. The back of her hands were pressed to her forehead, the fronts -her fingers and palms- were stained crimson red. It was not her blood she wore, and though she had washed and clawed at her hands for a good fifteen minutes, the colour held strong. Her chest was tight as she took in hard, deep breaths. She felt sick._

 _This wasn't supposed to happen. It was simple and easy. Why had she felt the need to take on such a huge responsibility?_

* * *

 _8 Months ago_

A knock at the door startled her. Emily looked up from her files and raised a brow at the scruffy haired Brit standing in the doorway.

"I thought you were in Budapest for the week," she stated as she closed her laptop. She leaned back in her office chair and crossed her arms over her chest.

Emily wasn't that surprised to see Clyde Easter in her office on a Thursday afternoon. He frequently visited her, never for any particular reason, and it was often very distracting when she was rushing to get reports out. Of course they were friends and it made London feel a little less lonely. Clyde was one of the only people Emily truly felt comfortable around, but she couldn't hide how irritating his presence could be when she was busy.

Clyde strolled into her office and flashed her a dashing smile, then shut the curtains to avoid any unwanted attention. He then took a seat on the couch in the corner and opened his briefcase.

He tossed a large yellow envelope onto her desk without saying anything.

"I guess work can wait," she said to herself softly. He wasn't always so forward about things, but when he was, Emily knew the situation was serious. Clyde obviously wanted her help.

She prayed it was something that would get her out into the field again. She loved being in charge, but she no longer got to chase down the criminals and hold a gun. Emily Prentiss needed action in her life and writing up reports wasn't cutting it.

She stared at the envelope intently for a quick moment then curiosity took over. She leaned forward and immediately opened it, dumping its contents all over her desk. Countless pictures and documents spilled out as it opened, some smaller pieces falling onto the floor.

"What's this?" She flipped through a folder scanning the pages, quickly trying to make sense of the material she had been given.

"Why don't you see for yourself," he suggested. Clyde then made his way to the filing cabinet against the wall and pulled the handle on the third drawer down. It was where Emily kept the alcohol. After a long or difficult case she was known to invite members of her team up to her office for a drink. It wasn't conventional but they enjoyed it.

Clyde pulled out two glasses and the bottle of Scotch for himself. He began to fill his cup. "Anything for you darling?"

"There should be a nice Cabernet Sauvignon in there somewhere."

He put back the second glass and reached for a wine glass and filled it with the red. Then he walked over to Emily and handed her the wine.

She nodded with a smile then turned her attention back to the pile of papers scattered in front of her.

The files contained mission details and information on Clyde's latest obsession. A former CIA turned MI7 intelligence agent who had quit his job 16 years ago to focus on what he called Project Renegade. The project was said to be powerful and dangerous; though no one truly knew what it was.

That's what Interpol had been fearing most.

"Brian Sinclair," she whispered, glancing at him and took a small sip of her drink.

He was a legend to her, to most agents frankly. Not in the way that they idolize him, but more that they had only ever heard stories. Not many people had met him, and if they had they were not open about it. Tales of him spread fast in the break room like most rumors do. He was known as a crazy agent who crossed over, then gave up his career for a project. Brian Sinclair was someone you heard about but never believed existed.

Clyde was lounging on the couch with one leg crossed over the other and had already finished half of his drink.

"Let's just say Budapest wasn't a success," he said, looking down at his scotch; he swished his drink around in the glass.

Clyde was recently contacted by an informant who gave him information on Brian Sinclair's whereabouts. He had heard that Sinclair was fearing for his life so they had planned to meet in Budapest earlier that week. He promised to share the details of the project but things didn't go the way anyone expected.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Frankly Emily didn't have time for guessing games. However, Clyde liked to make everything more difficult.

"He's dead Em… And now Project Renegade is in the wind," he said, concern evident in his voice. "I need your help. Sinclair has a 15 year old daughter. Her name is Addison," he continued, then he slugged back the last of his scotch and put his glass on the ground beside his feet.

Emily was puzzled by Clyde's plea. "I can go talk to her for a bit, if you need it," she offered. She would volunteer herself for anything to get out of the office for a few hours. Lord knows she needed a change of pace.

"I was thinking something more extensive…" he trailed off.

"I don't have time for your games Clyde," she shot back. She had far more important things to take care of compared to Clyde's situation.

"I realize that, and I'm getting to it if you would just listen. You have never been one for patience." He smirked as he recalled every time he had told her to wait for backup before chasing after a criminal. She never did; and she always got the guy. She didn't like to be held back by anyone.

Emily glared at him.

With anyone else, he would have kept joking but he knew not to upset Emily Prentiss. She was a force to be reckoned with and truly she frightened him.

He decided to continue pleading his case. "The girl isn't safe, nor is she emotionally stable enough to go into foster care. She knows a lot about her father's work, whether she realizes it or not. I need you to get close to her and find out everything you can about Renegade."

She let out one loud laugh. "Wait, let me get this straight. You're asking me to play house with a 15 year old so you can fish out anything she might not know she knows?" She shook her couldn't believe he was asking her to do such a thing to someone so young.

"Well…. yes, exactly." He clasped his hands together. "I think she's lying. You know I would do it myself if she were..."

She sighed and cut him off. "I know, I know. If she were fifteen years older."

"I'm not good with kids. But you are," he reasoned.

Emily bit her lip and shook her head. "No, that's never going to happen. I'm not going to use some scared little girl. Can't you just leave this one alone? Sinclair is dead and if he truly did not tell anyone what or where Renegade is, then there isn't anything to worry about."

"She needs protection as much as I want someone on the inside. You're maternal, you would be perfect for this."

Emily blinked in surprise. She swallowed hard to try and get rid of the lump in her throat. "I wouldn't say that."

"You are and she's a kid… well a teenager. I'm not asking you to do another Doyle." He chuckled but immediately knew what he said was uncalled for.

Emily levelled her gaze at him, then started gathering the papers back into the envelope. "I have better things to do. You need to go," she demanded through clenched teeth and she tried not to raise her voice. She was struggling to control her temper.

Clyde knew he had hit a sensitive spot by bringing up Ian Doyle. He stood up and walked to the door avoiding her eyes. "At least talk to her for me, will you?" he asked, but before she could answer, he left the office.

* * *

Emily met Clyde that night at an Interpol safe house outside of London. The house was a small, wooden, two bedroom cabin that sat amongst acres of forest. Agents surrounded the perimeter; they hid in bushes and behind trees, protecting the young girl who resided within those walls.

Clyde waved her in and walked Emily down the hall to where the girl was staying.

"Just get her talking," he said before he knocked on the door twice.

There was no response, so Emily pushed the door open slowly and stood in the doorway, watching the young girl. Moonlight shone down upon her head as she sat curled up on the window sill. She hugged her legs tightly, pulling them against her chest. She looked thin but strong, and about average height. Her long dirty blond hair was pulled back in a high ponytail with a pink hair elastic. She stared blankly out the window, observing the wind blow through the trees.

"Hi Addison," Emily said from her spot by the door. "My name's Emily. Clyde asked me to come speak with you."

Addison turned her head so she could get a better view of the dark haired lady in her room. Without hardly moving, she looked Emily up and down, then went back to staring out the window. She wanted nothing to do with these people.

Emily shrugged, stepping fully into the room and closed the door behind herself. She moved the teen's sweater over and sat down on the bed.

"I know this isn't where you want to be right now," Emily said softly. She didn't plan on asking the girl about her father's work just yet. She wanted to establish a rapport with Addison first, and hopefully make her feel a little less alone in the world.

Addison continued to ignore the strange woman in her room. She just wanted peace and quiet so she could think about everything that had happened in the past few days. Her father's passing was finally becoming real and she was worried about what would come of her.

Emily sighed. She knew she had to try something else. "What are you looking at, Sweetie?" She stood up and slowly entered the girl's territory. She stepped with caution, scared she might set her off. "It's a nice night, isn't it?"

Emily was now standing directly behind Addison. The girl blinked quickly a few times, as if she were startled by the agent's close proximity. Then, she turned and gave Emily a death glare, her lips pressed into a thin line. However, Emily did not back down. Behind her calm composure; Emily could see fear and confusion gathering in the young girl's blue eyes. She stared back at Addison, mirroring her expression, then she tilted her head.

Emily was beginning to realize why Clyde needed help; getting Addison Sinclair to talk was a mission in itself.

"I'm sorry about your father. He was a good agent back in the day," she said softly with a sad smile. Emily reached forward and ran her hand up and down the girl's arm, trying to comfort her.

Addison shook her way free from the stranger's hold. "Ne parlez pas de mon père," she mumbled to herself as she pushed past Emily and went to lay on the bed facing the wall.

Emily was not sure she was supposed to hear what the blonde had said, but decided to answer in French anyway. "Je m'excuse. Je comprends que c'est difficile d'accepter ce qui est passé." She tried soothing Addison again by slowly rubbing her hand along the girl's back. Emily was surprised when her touch provoked no resistance.

Addison turned to Emily and she could see the sorrow in her blue eyes. "I'm not struggling to accept this. You don't get it... I don't have anyone else. I don't have friends because we were always moving around, and I don't know any family, if I even have any. I would think I don't because they keep discussing what they're going to do with me, and I keep hearing the words 'foster care' coming up," she ranted as tears welled in her eyes and began trickling down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry." Emily wrapped both arms around her and when Addison didn't try to fight her way free, Emily gently pulled her into a tight huge. Addison leaned into Emily, with her head resting on the older women's shoulder.

"No, you're not." she mumbled, her voice muffled by Emily's coat.

"I really am, and if I could do anything to help you I would," she lied

"You don't even know me," Addison replied as she looked Emily in the eye.

Emily tucked a rogue strand of hair behind the girl's ear. "But I know what it's like to feel completely alone. No one should experience that pain. Ever."

At first, Addison had been tense to Emily's touch because she didn't feel comfortable, but now she had completely sunk into Emily's body. She wrapped her arms around the kind agent, holding on for dear life as waves of sobs rocked her body. She melted into Emily's embrace and cried into her shoulder.

Emily continued to sooth Addison until she began to calm down. As her tears slowed and her sniffles became fewer, Emily let go.

Emily used her thumb to wipe the girl's face dry, then she squeezed Addison one last time. She held the girl away from her so she could see her eyes, then Emily smiled softly. "If you need anything, you can call me or ask Clyde to call me." Emily searched her pockets and pulled out a business card and a pen. She turned it over and added her cell phone number. "Day or night. Okay?"

Addison tried to smile and nodded, then she took the card from Emily hand. Emily walked over to the door and opened it. She looked down the hall and could see Clyde watching anxiously.

Suddenly she jumped when two arms tightly wrapped around her waist. She reached her arm around and turned to see Addison one last time.

"Thank you, Emily... for talking to me and everything."

"Take care of yourself sweetie." Emily nodded and rubbed her back, then walked out the door and closed it. She stood outside the door, held her breath and smiled. As badly as she didn't want Clyde to be right, she wanted to take the job. She wanted Addison Sinclair.

* * *

Once Emily was down the hall she looked at Clyde. He stood leaning against the wall with a smug smile on his face.

"What?" she asked, frowning and narrowing her eyes at him.

He chuckled and shook his head. "Nothing."

He knew that she would be perfect for the job, even though she had said no earlier that day. He was going to convince her otherwise.

She stared at him for another few minutes, then gave up and walked away. "Goodnight Clyde."


	2. Chapter 2

It had been almost a month since Emily had heard anything regarding the young Sinclair girl. Since that night she found her mind drifting to Addison. Worried thoughts filled her head; they consumed her. She constantly wondered where the girl was and whether or not she was adjusting to her new life. Every time she let herself go back to that evening she felt a pain in her chest. She wanted everything to be okay.

The not knowing made her go insane. Of course Clyde had stopped in, he often used his lunch break to have a short visit but never did he mention his previous job offer or the girl. Clyde acted like Addison had never existed. Perhaps he figured that since Emily had not-so graciously turned down his proposition, that she wasn't interested in the case.

* * *

She viciously pulled her pillow over her head and pressed it firmly over her ears with one hand. Using her other free hand, Emily swatted at her night stand trying to hit her obnoxious alarm clock. Her fingertips grazed it just enough to knock it to the floor, yet it continued to sound.

"God, damn, fucking, ahhhhhh!" she wailed. Half screaming and half groaning, Emily ripped her tired body from her warm bed and scrambled to shut it off. When it wouldn't comply, out of frustration, she chucked it across the room where it shattered when coming in contact with the wall.

She stared at it for a brief moment, realizing that in fact it was broken, then covered her face with her hands and shook her head in defeat.

That was the third alarm clock Emily had broken that month.

As she rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she entered her kitchen and started her Keurig. She stumbled over to the cupboard, where she found a half loaf of bread which she cut and then placed in the toaster. When it popped, her spread peanut butter across the slice, took a bite then leaned her hip on the counter edge. She became lost in thought as she looked aimlessly out the window.

God did she hated morning. She was never good at getting enough sleep but lately it had been worst. At night, when it was dark and she had nothing left to focus on, her mind would drift off and get caught up in thoughts about Addison.

On top of her lack of sleep, she hated waking up and having to fight traffic just so she could arrive on time to a job that was quickly getting old. She never felt this before London. In DC, though she equally disliked the early mornings and the traffic, it was well worth it because her job had purpose.

* * *

Once she was dressed, Emily filled a to-go mug with coffee and headed out of her flat. The drive to work was when she spent a good part of her time worrying about Addison.

She was a sweet girl who clearly wasn't ready for such a traumatic event.

Emily feared that the poor girl wasn't being cared for properly, or that she was in some kind of danger. She prayed day and night that the teen hadn't been placed in foster care. Most of all, Emily was scared that Addison was alone. Guilt tore her apart, she could have just done as Clyde suggested and became a "monitor" for the girl. At least that way Emily could try to give her the life she deserved.

A car behind her honked.

She glanced up and noticed that the light had changed. Emily was so caught up in picking at her nails and thinking that she didn't see the vehicles ahead of her had gone.

The car honked once again.

"Yeah yeah, I see it," she muttered angrily. She looked into her rearview mirror and glared at the guy behind her before speeding forward down the street. She really needed to focus on getting to work, not worrying about Addison.

She had lots of time to be perturbed by the pain she may have caused while she was supposed to be filling out files.

"Maybe I could get one of my agents to steal the files on Addie from Clyde's office when he comes to see me…" she said aloud, contemplating how insane her idea sounded.

Wait, Addie? she thought to herself, slightly taken by the nickname she created. Where the hell did that come from? She knew that she had to get her head together. This wasn't healthy.

Before she knew it, she had parked her car and was making her way to her desk. Her office was up on the fourth floor and she always chose to take the stairs.

As she began her climb, her phone went off in her pocket. She stopped in the stairwell and searched through her bag before pulling it out. She cringed when she saw Clyde's name on the screen. She moaned. What now, she thought as she lifted the phone to her ear.

"I'm not even at my desk yet so this better be good," she snapped.

The latest change in Emily's mood had not gone unnoticed by Clyde so he opted to let her less-than-friendly greeting go. It was his fault and he knew it. He intended for this to happen, he needed her to get invested in the young girl for his plan to play out right.

He didn't exactly know how to explain what had happened to her. He was fully aware that Emily was being consumed by guilt since the night she had met Addison. So it wouldn't take much to get a reaction out of her.

The line stayed silent but she could hear him breathing heavily on the other end.

"Seriously, what do you want?" she asked, irritatedly. She rolled her eyes at this, typical Clyde.

"Something's happened." He tried his best to stay calm, though his mind was racing.

She knew that tone. It wasn't one he used often but when he did, she knew something awful had happened.

She started picking at her thumb nail with her index finger. "Clyde, what's wrong?" she asked in a shaky voice. She began to bite at her lower lip.

He hesitated, taking a deep breath before he spoke. "Addison Sinclair has been shot."

* * *

Emily borrowed an SUV from the Interpol car park and road the sirens all the way to the hospital. When she got there she sat in the vehicle, a wave of anger and guilt washing over her. She felt culpable for this. She had said that there was no threat to Addison's life, she didn't think that there was any need for someone to protect her and now her decision may have costed that innocent girl's life. She was furious that Clyde had kept her in the dark because even though she had turned down his offer, it didn't mean she wanted nothing to do with this case.

She pulled the visor down and used the mirror to check how red her eye's were. She wiped her face with her sleeve then exited the SUV.

She stormed into the hospital while still trying to stay as calm as possible. Her eyes roamed the waiting room, quickly skipping past anyone who wasn't Clyde. She found him sitting in a chair in the corner, along with some other agents who were probably assigned to Addie's case. Both her hands clenched into fists as she saw him sitting here, her fury bubbling to the surface.

"Clyde! What the hell happened?"

He was startled from his thoughts by her roar. He jumped up, excusing himself from the group of agents. Glancing around, he ushered Emily down the hall to a more private area. She had never been one to be bothered by keeping up appearances. He on the other hand wasn't going to let her make a fool of both of them. He cared far too much about maintaining his public image.

"I thought she was in protective custody?" Emily hissed as she pulled her arm out of his grasp.

"She was but-" he began to say before Emily cut him off.

"I don't want to hear it! She is a 15 year old girl who was supposed to be kept safe. You better hope the press doesn't get wind of this because there is no way to dig yourself out of that hole," Emily said.

He ran his hand over his face, exhausted by the current situation. "Damn it, I know! I already have the bloody Director breathing down my neck. I'm not in the mood to take this shit from you too!" he said harshly as his voice became increasingly louder.

"This shit?" she spat and she stepped closer to him. "This isn't a minor dilemma that can be scraped under the rug. There are serious consequences here. A criminal was able to get into our system and find her! They had access to secure information without anyone noticing. This needs to be dealt with immediately, so of course the Director is on your ass about it. Not only that, a child under your protection was put in danger. I don't care if you were there when it happened or not; it was your responsibility to protect her and you failed. You've almost killed an entire family because you can't let go of this case!"

He stepped forward, pushing her into the wall and pinning her up against it. Emily didn't surrender, she kept her gaze locked on his.

He gave a short, mirthless laugh before saying, "You better back off, Prentiss."

"You are not in the right state of mind to be handling this case right now," she said as she continued to glare at him. "You've become so invested in finding Project Renegade that you have no regard for the lives you're endangering. I should report you myself for breach of information and child endangerment."

Suddenly his fist struck the wall, hardly missing her head. He didn't actually intend to hit her, thought he wanted to scared her off of her high pedestal. "I'm not the only one who's actions have gotten people killed," he replied through gritted teeth.

Slightly frightened, her eyes widened, but she stood her ground. Emily wouldn't let him see how much that comment affected her. She pressed her hand up against his chest and pushed him away. "Go on, throw your childish tantrum, let me know where it gets you. You can't threaten me, Clyde. You have nothing on me." She scoffed as she turned away and began back toward the waiting area.

He grabbed her wrist and tightened his grasp until she winced. "I'll take your job. How would you like that?" he asked scornfully. He knew that was the ultimate punishment for her; she had nothing else she valued as much. He had no reason to do that though. It was an empty threat and he knew it, so he let go of her wrist and backed away before he made the situation any worse.

This was a whole other side of Clyde that Emily had never seen before. Never had she witnessed him lose his composure, especially not on a high profile case like this one. Emily was doing her best to hide how uneasy he was making her, but she could hold her own against him, and he wasn't about to get away with treating her like his own personal punching bag.

She laughed in his face and gritted her teeth. "I wouldn't care at this point. I was planning to quit anyway."

That took him by surprise. She complained a lot about her work, but he never thought that she wanted to leave. He stopped glaring at her and took a deep breath to try and calm down.

"Em, are you serious?" he asked softly.

She just shrugged and nodded as she looked away. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

An awkward silence fell between them but was soon after broken when one of Clyde's agents came rushing around the corner. "Excuse me, Sir, the doctor would like to speak with you."

* * *

Emily watched from a distance as the doctor discussed Addison's surgery with Clyde. She picked at her nails as she tried to decipher their hushed conversation. She couldn't tell whether or not things had gone well.

She feared the worst.

Clyde thanked the doctor then sent out a quick text message. With his phone in hand, Clyde approached her. "Darling, walk with me."

She shook her head, she wanted answers and she wanted them now. "No; tell me what happen. Is she okay?" She crossed her arms as she spoke.

"Emily please, come with me and I'll explain everything." His voice was stern but soft.

She hesitated for a brief moment but gave in. She nodded then followed him down the hall and into the elevator. They rode up to the third floor before getting off.

"Where are we going?" she questioned.

"I apologize for my behaviour, Emily," he said in response as he lead her down the hall. "I shouldn't have said those things to you. You were right about the case. It has been taxing, to say the least."

Emily couldn't help but wonder what the hell was going on. Clyde never apologized, or freely admitted that someone else was right.

They came to a halt about halfway down the hall. Through a window, a flash of blond hair caught Emily's attention and she peered through the blinds to the room next to them. Tucked into the bed, lying sound asleep was Addison Sinclair. She had small cuts and scrapes on her arms and face and her left arm was held across her body in a sling.

Tears in her eyes, Emily turned to looked at Clyde.

He gave her a soft sympathetic grin. "She's going to be okay."

She glanced up at the ceiling then wiped her eyes. She felt foolish to be so upset because of someone she hardly knew. "That's good," she whispered.

Clyde pushed the door open and held it for the two of them. He needed privacy and figured that the girl wouldn't wake up for a while. Her hospital room would work fine.

He took a seat in a chair next to the bed and Emily found room on the bed beside Addison's feet. She watched the girl intently; she looked so peaceful as she slept.

"Now," he started, "before I tell you anything else, I need you to understand that I take full responsibility for this decision. I would never do this unless I felt it was the only option. This conversation does not leave the two of us."

"Clyde…" she warned, she wanted him to be straight with her. No games.

Emily was running her hand slowly up and down Addison's leg as she listened to Clyde. She couldn't help but wish she could have done something to stop her for getting hurt in the first place.

"She survived, as you can see, but in order to keep her safe we are going to have to say that she died on the table. She lost too much blood, that's the story."

"Why are you tell me this?"

"I need your help, Darling. I know you already turned it down but we don't have another option here."

"I can't do that," she protested as she shoot her head. "I won't go back into hiding, even if it is to protect someone else. That's not the kind of life a 15 year old girl should lead."

"You don't have to do that. You could leave Interpol forever, you can walk away if you take Addison with you." His offer came out more as a plea.

She knew that his offer was too good to pass up. She could go back to the States, back to her family and she would also have the chance to do something good with her life for a change. But it was a lot of responsibility and she wasn't sure she was prepared to raise and protect a teenager, no matter how much she cared about her. "What part of "no" don't you understand?"

Clyde didn't want to lose her, but he would do almost anything to get her to agree. "I'm desperate. You're the only person I can trust with this."

She was silent as she considered his proposal again, her eyes finding their way to Addie's peaceful face. If she said yes, everything would be different. She could have the kind of life she wanted years ago. It was like she was getting a second chance at what she had wanted when Carrie needed someone. She could be a mother, even if it was only pretend.

"Fine... But you owe me. Big time," she said slowly, still a little unsure. "And only if she is okay with it."

"Yes of course! Anything you want!" He laughed as left out a breath that we didn't know he had been holding in. "Thank you," he added.

He pulled out his phone again and began typing away.

Emily raised a brow at him curiously. "Let me guess... You already started putting this together?"

A sly grin crept onto his face.


	3. Chapter 3

Emily jolted awake, quickly returning to an upright sitting position when she felt a hand softly graze her arm.

She rubbed her eyes, yawned, then glanced around the room to take in her surroundings. She was reminded of where she was instantly: the hospital. She remembered what Clyde had told her and that he wanted them out of the country as soon as Addison was cleared to fly.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up," Addison apologized. Her voice was weak and laced with pain.

Emily's reached out and grasped the young girl's free hand. "It's okay, Sweetheart," she said softly as she rubbed her thumb across the top of Addison's hand. A small sympathetic smile crept onto her face.

Addison eyed the dark haired agent with an unsure expression, though she did not avoid her touch.

"Do you remember me?" Emily asked in a soothing tone.

The teen bit at her bottom lip as she nodded slowly. She tried to lean forward but pain shot through her body with every bit of movement. She winced, then slowly lowered back down against her pillow.

"How much does it hurt?" She knew that Addison would be in a significant amount of pain when she finally woke up. With bruised and broken ribs, a bullet wound and a minor concussion, she was sure to be.

Addison shrugged but immediately regretted it as a sharp pain pierced her shoulder. She wanted to scream but all that escaped from her mouth was a loud hiss. She hesitated for a moment while waiting for the pain to dull down before whispering, "I'm fine."

Emily shook her head as the young girl tried the fight back the tears that threatened to fall. She knew that look far too well as she herself was too stubborn and too headstrong to admit defeat.

"I'm going to get the doctor." The agent started to get to her feet, but Addie's grip tightened.

"No, please. Just… just stay a little longer," she pleaded.

Emily pressed her lips into a thin line and shook her head again. She knew that the doctor could help make Addison more comfortable, but when she caught a glimpse of fear in the young girl's eyes, her heart broke.

"Okay, I won't leave," the older women said as she moved to sit on the side of the bed.

The duo sat in silence for a few long moments. Addison stared at the ceiling as she tried to avoid Emily's worried regard.

"We need to have a little chat," she said finally with a sigh as she patted the teenagers leg.

"I don't know who did this… I never saw their face. I wasn't involved in my father's work, I didn't reach out to anyone and no, I do not have any known enemies," Addison said as if she had recited it a hundred times and sounding more defensive than she had intended to. She had already told Agent Easter everything she could recall when they were in the ambulance. That was before she coded twice.

Talking about what happened made her annoyed with herself for not putting up more of a fight. She felt ashamed to have let someone get away with hurting her.

Emily's gentle voice shook her from her thoughts. "That's not what we need to talk about."

The teen's expression became confused, her eyes narrowing as she watched the older woman run her hand through her hair.

Emily didn't know how to start. She searched for the right words. "See.. well..." She was at a loss. "Addison, we want to keep you safe."

Addison let out a chuckle, then a sigh as she rolled her eyes. She ripped her hand out of Emily's as she spoke. "I can tell. You've done such a great job so far." She then tried her best to turn herself away from the brunette.

The agent ignored the hostility in the young girl's voice. She had a right to be angry about the lack of protection she was given.

Emily scooted herself closer to Addison and once again softly grabbed hold of her fingertips. "I know you're upset." She paused for a moment as she watched a wave of frustration run through the teenager. Once she seemed more calm, Emily continued, "I'm sorry that this happened. But please hear what I have to say. I'm here to help you."

"I don't need anyone's help. I'm fine, " she said with a clenched gaw. She wanted so badly to be able to stand up. She wanted to lift herself from the bed and run from that room.

"No, you're not. Sweetie, you can hardly move without something hurting."

"I'm FINE!" She didn't mean to yell, that was just how her words slipped out. She hated being treated like a weakling and she found the term 'sweetie' to be condescending. It wasn't her fault that she was snapping, she had been through enough for one day.

Emily kept quiet for a few moments in hopes of letting Addison's hostility subside.

She cleared her throat and straightened her posture. "As of three hours ago, you are dead. In order to keep you safe we had to fake your death. There was a press conference earlier this evening."

Addison didn't speak. For minutes she stared at Emily as if she did not understand. It wasn't an easy thing to grasp.

"What?! What do you mean I'm 'dead'...? This isn't some Bourne movie. You can't fake my death and send me off! You can't do this!" she yelled in a dry scratchy voice. She was beyond furious. Addison didn't want to play hide and seek with terrorists and killers anymore.

"We can and we have." Emily's voice was firm. "You have two options; I will not question your decision because this is completely up to you. You can move to the United States with me or you can follow whatever protection plan Interpol comes up with. You could have a chance at a very normal life, this could be a new beginning for you." Emily felt guilty; Addison was only a child, this was a lot to take in. She also knew that there was no place safer for Addison than in her protection. Come hell or high water, Emily would not let anything happen to that poor young girl.

She stared at Emily for a moment contemplating.

"Okay, I'll go with you," she growled as she rolled her eyes. She was stubborn and though she didn't want to move across the world with a woman she hardly knew, it seemed a lot better than the alternative.

Emily smiled softly and then began gathering her things. She needed to go talk to Clyde immediately.

Before leaving she turned to back towards the angry teenager. "I'll see you tomorrow. We can talk more about this in the morning."

Addison slowly rolled over and sighed. "As if I have a fucking choice." She murmured to herself.

* * *

Emily spent the next few days getting herself packed and ready to head home. She cleared out her office and her flat, taking only her most important possessions; the rest of her clothing could be shipped over eventually. Clyde briefed her on how everything was going to be handled from then on; it wasn't going to be easy but he had confidence in her. There was to be a private jet waiting for them at the airport as soon as Addison was released that would take them right to Ronald Reagan International in Washington DC. Once they got there, a car would be waiting for them in the parking lot; Emily had one set of keys and the other was in the glove compartment. They would then head to their new home in Vienna, Virginia.

She checked up on Addison everyday to make sure she was recovering well and so she could judge when the teen would be strong enough to travel. Most days-between packing and working out the details for their move-Emily would stop in for a couple hours and normally just watch Addison sleep. She looked so peaceful and calm until she woke up, then she looked broken. They briefly discuss the plan so Addison would know what was happening. Emily had every intention of keeping her in the loop.

Addison was fully clothed with a pair of black legging and a baggy sweater. She sat crossed legged on top of her bed watching some kind of horrible British soap opera when Emily arrived. She had two pillows piled on her lap and she was resting her elbow on it with her face in her palm, while the other hand was being held against her body in a sling.

When she finally spotted Emily in the doorway, a small smile spread across her face. She switched off the television and started putting her pillows back. She was getting stronger, though her movements still seemed labored and sore. She was more agile now.

Emily smiled back. Taking the young girl's greeting as an invitation to enter, she walked in, and while doing so tossed a plastic bag onto the bed in front of Addison.

"What is it?" she quickly questioned as she stuck her hand into the bag and pulled a box out. When she realized what it was, her smile dropped. She shook her head in disbelief.

Emily laughed as she watched Addison's expression change.

The teen glanced up with a annoyed look in her eyes. "You're kidding right? This is some kind of twisted joke, isn't it?!" Addison cried as she shook the box of dark brown hair dye and a pair of scissors. She loved her blond hair, it was beautiful, thick and long, but most of all it was the one physical characteristic that she had developed from her mother.

"It's good that you already have an American accent, but I think it will be very difficult to convince people that you're my daughter if you have blonde hair."

"You can dye your hair," she proposed. Addison knew she wouldn't win this battle but a girl could always try.

Emily took a seat in her regular bedside chair. "Not happening," she said as she let out and airy laugh. She leaned back in the chair while shaking her head in disagreement.

The pathetically hopeless scowl on the younger girl's face made containing her own laughter nearly impossible. Addison was really starting to grow on Emily and though she didn't want to admit it to herself, she was excited to do this day in and day out. She wanted someone she could call hers, even if it was all pretend.

Addison groaned as she slowly got off the bed. "I can't destroy my hair on my own," she said putting her injured arm forward to bring attention it. She stood in front of the bathroom door and raised an eyebrow. "What are you waiting for?"

Emily laughed and shook her head then followed the teen into the bathroom.

She helped Addison lift her sweater off and laid towels on the floor, the hard tile would hurt her knees. Emily opened the package, read the directions and began to brush the dye into Addie's light hair.

Between dipping and brushing the dye Addison caught Emily's eyes. "This sucks. I hope you know that this makes me hate you even more."

"I don't like doing this just as much as you do."

"Couldn't we get this done professionally?" she said with a placid tone to her voice.

"We will, once we get to Virginia," Emily Responded simply, her hands massaging the colour into Addison's scalp.

An hour later, after rinsing and drying the kid's thick, mile long hair, Emily stepped back to admire her work. She had to admit, she did a damn good job. Addison's hair was now a rich, dark brown colour. It suited her but it would take some getting used to.

* * *

"Damn it!" Addison mumbled under breath as she tried to buckle her seatbelt. With only one good arm this was a struggle. The metal buckle slipped from her fingers once again as she cursed her sling.

Emily leaned over and attached the two pieces, then pulled the seatbelt tight around the teenager's hips.

She thanked the agent for the help, though she hated feeling helpless.

The private jet was very similar to what Emily used to travel in at the BAU. The interior had several chairs facing across from one another with tables in between them, and a couch. The girls sat next to each other at a table in the middle of the plane.

As the plane headed towards the runway, Addison reached into her bookbag and found a pack of Excel gum. She popped two pieces of bubblemint gum out of the package and tossed them into her mouth. She then threw her head back against the seat as she chewed vigorously on the gum. Her body became tense and she kept her eyes shut.

Emily looked at her with a raised brow. "Is everything okay?"

Addison looked at the dark haired agent through one eye and sighed. "I hate flying," she confessed.

The aircraft jolted as it began to pick up speed. Addison could feel her heartbeat in her ears and her breathing quickly became irregular gasps. She held the armrest with all her strength.

Concern filled Emily as she watched Addison fall into a state of panic. She reached out, trying to wrap her arm around the girl's body. "You're okay. Everything is okay," she cooed. She leaned in closer and her held the terrified girl's head against her chest. She ran her fingers through her now dark hair and slowly Addie relaxed.

Once the plane was in the air and the pilot let them know that they were free to move about the cabin, Emily stood up to get a drink.

"Do you want anything?" she asked as she opened the mini fridge.

The young girl simply shook her head. She was embarrassed; she tried to look out the window and ignore the other passenger's eyes.

Emily sat back down next to Addison and removed a magazine from her bag. She flipped through it, slowly examining the pages before settling on an article about this year's spring fashion. She tried to act like nothing had happened to keep Addison from feeling uncomfortable. It was better to let her "daughter" start a conversation when she wanted to. For now, she would read and try to ignore the nagging voice in the back of her head asking her what she was getting herself into.

The plane ride dragged on, and slowly day turned to night. Emily was checking her emails. She needed to tie up some loose ends and figure out how she was going to explain her unexpected homecoming to her friends, and more importantly, her new teenage traveling companion.

Addison had recently moved onto the couch and was now trying to get some sleep. She was finding this to be quite difficult with the incessant sound of typing that was filling the cabin.

She sat up slowly and sighed. "I had a bad experience on a plane when I was little."

Emily stopped typing, showing that she was listening. She turned in her seat so she was facing the girl.

"I was seven and my dad had a conference at Tiantongyuan Kyoto in Beijing. My mom had just died so all the traveling was really new and exciting. It got old fast after that..." She paused. Maybe this was too much sharing.

"That must have been hard, losing you mom."

"She was really sick for a long time. It was the better alternative." Addison avoided the agent's eyes by staring out the window. A distant light was now coming into view, slowly it morphed into millions of houses and buildings.

Emily chose not to respond. There was a lot she had yet to learn about the mysterious child.

"When does it end?" Addison asked quietly.

"What do you mean?"

She turn away from the window, pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her free arm around them. The feeling was comforting. She hesitated but eventually began explaining herself. "I've always been in hiding because my dad's work put us in danger. I've been using aliases and memorizing cover stories for as long as I can remember. I know this sounds horrible but when he died, as sad as I was... I felt relieved because I thought that it was all over. I loved my dad, he was everything to me but I didn't have a life. This is just my reality now; it's never truly going to be over is it…?" Tears formed in her eyes but she quickly wiped them away before they had a chance to fall.

Emily pursed her lips and thought about everything she had been through over the past couple years. If there was one thing she knew, it was that level of paranoia and fear. "The running and the hiding, it's part of you now and every time something bad happens you'll immediately want to disappear. For a long time you'll be afraid to trust and you'll constantly feel like someone is watching you. But, eventually you'll stop looking over your shoulder and realize that not everyone is out to get you."

* * *

Well there it is finally! I hope you are enjoying my story and please let me know what you think! I'm having lots of fun writing this!


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